Sangwon Lee — Unsent Letter

The isolated country of North Korea has always sparked interest. With the lack of information and media images, outsider fascination grows. Yet this produces a distortion of reality, alongside precarious assumptions and exaggerated generalisations. An alternative to this understanding is experiential learning - a process of involvement and emotional investment.

Within the regime, the defectors and their families left in North Korea are disconnected- coming face to face is impossible, and calling each other is dangerous to both parties as strict surveillance is quick to label rebels to the state. In this complex circumstance, how can design socially contribute to the political situation? In an effort to answer this question, this project acts as a mediator and communicator between those isolated outside the country and their family inside. Concurrently, this is a criticism of the North Korean regime through personal and tragic life stories, with a purpose of improving the disconnected North Korean family network, as well as South Koreans with North Koreans, and wider audiences through experimental learning.